Ausbau erneuerbarer Energien und räumliche Verteilungsgerechtigkeit: Eine juristisch-ökonomische Bewertung regulatorischer Handlungsoptionen
The expansion of electricity generation and grid infrastructure in the field of renewable energies (RE infrastructure) has uneven spatial distribution of benefits and burdens at the local and regional levels. Therefore, aspects of spatial distribution equity are increasingly becoming the focus of political debates on the management of RE infrastructure expansion. Against this background, this article uses a legal-economic analysis to address two questions: Which legal control approaches and instruments currently influence the spatial distribution of the local burdens and benefits of RE infrastructure expansion in Germany directly or indirectly, and which concepts of spatial distribution equity are addressed in this way? What regulatory action is needed, and what options are available, to address spatial distribution equity more adequately in the future? Overall, the analysis shows that the equitable spatial distribution of renewable energy infrastructure is already being addressed by a broad and varied mix of instruments. In principle, it makes sense to apply different fairness principles (e.g. protection of basic needs, performance and equivalence) and regulatory approaches (e.g. land use control, location control and transactional control) in parallel. Particular regulatory action is needed in the spatial control of ground-mounted photovoltaics, the skimming of land rents created by the expansion of renewable energies, and the further development of electricity and grid fees.
Lehmann, P., W. Köck, E. Gawel, C. Geiger, C. Rheinschmitt and S. Schaffner (2025), Ausbau erneuerbarer Energien und räumliche Verteilungsgerechtigkeit: Eine juristisch-ökonomische Bewertung regulatorischer Handlungsoptionen. Natur und Recht, 47, 8, 509-521